Roller clutch



7 May 27, 1930. w. MlLLER ROLLER CLUTCH Original Filed Feb. s, 1927 '//7ven/Or: William Miller:

Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM MILLER, OFDUNSTON-ONTYNE, ENGLAND ROLLER CLUTCH Original application filedFebruary 3, 1927, Serial No. 165,668, and in Great Britain February 17,1926.

Divided and this application. filed This invention relates to rollerclutches and is a division of. my prior application Serial No. 165,668,filed 3rd February, 1927, now Patent No. 1,735,125, granted November Theinvention relates to roller clutches wherein one of the clutch members(hereinafter referred to as the roller-carrying member) has associatedtherewith one or more roller units each comprising an even number ofrollers arranged in a line substantially transverse of the direction ofmovementof the clutch members, the said roller units co-operating withcam or wedge surfaces, so that when one of the clutch members is moved,a virtual toggle action occurs between the rollers and clutch memberswith a consequent effective engagement.

The object of the invention is to provide a form of clutch whereinseparate wedges are employed, with improved means for controlling saidwedges for changing the operation of the clutch.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing which shows one form of construction according to the invention.In the said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken on the line II of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a development showing the means for moving the wedges of thearrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to their forward and reversepositions.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 indicates theroller-carrying member of the clutch which takes the form of an annulus,and 2 the other clutch member, which 's of channel section; the member 1being adapted to oscillate in the channel, the side walls of whichconstitute a pair of spaced concentric flanges. The numerals 3, indicate the two rollers forming roller units inside radial slots l in theannulus 1; the outer June 21, 1928. Serial No. 287,233.

faces of the rollers 3 and 1 (that is to say, the faces which projectbeyond the inner and outer peripheries of the annulus) being embraced bythe'said flanges. The numerals 5, 6 indicate pairs ofoppositely-disposed wedges. Gain members 7 are interposed between thenarrow ends of pairs of wedges 5 and 6 which are spring pressed againstthe cam members 7 by means of springs 8 or 9 located between the thickends of the wedges 5 and 6. The said cam members 7 are rigidly securedto pins 10 which project from a collar 11 mounted on a sleeve 12integral with the member 1. The ends of the wedges which contact with acam 7 are shaped so that during the movement of the said cam in onedirection from itsjmean position, one of the said wedges is un'afilectedand remains stationary, and the "other wedge is moved towards the cam 7by its respective spring, while during movement in the oppositedirection the reverse action occurs.

The springs may either be in. the form of coil springs 8, each of whichis wound around a pin 13 located between the thick ends of adjacentwedges and has its ends pressing against said ends; or they may be inthe form of helical springs 9 each of which is inserted in recesses inthe ends of two adjacent wedges. V

The action of the clutch is as follows: Assuming the member 1 to beoscillatory, if it is desired'to drive the member 2 in a clockwisedirection, the wedges 6 will be the driv- -ing wedges. By moving thecollar 11 and thus the cams 7 to the right 2) or upwards (Fig. 3) thewedges 6 will be moved by their springs into operative position.Movement of the roller-carrying member 1 will cause the wedges 6 to beengaged by their respective rollers and thus pressed against the clutchface of the member 2, so that the latter is turned.

If it is desired to drive. the member 1 in a counter-clockwisedirection, the pins 10 are moved to the right (Fig. or downwards (Fig.3) so that the wedge 6 is now held out of operative contact with itsrollers and the wedge 5 is allowed to move into its operative position.

I claim:

1. A clutch comprising two members, an even number ofcircumferentially-contacting rolling elements arranged in one of saidmem bers substantially transverse to the direction of movement of theclutch members, a pair of flanges on the other clutch member, saidflanges embracing the outer of said rolling elements, wedges adapted tocooperate with one of said flanges and its adjacent rolling elements sothat when one of the clutch members is moved the clutch is engaged, andcontrolling means adapted to cooperate with the ends of the wedges andto be operated so as to move transversely to the direction of movementof the wedges, so that on movement of the said controlling means theposition of the wedges relatively to their rolling elements may bechanged.

2. A clutch comprising two members one of which is an annulus, an evennumber of circumferentially-contacting rolling elements arranged in saidannulus substantially transverse to the direction of movement of theclutch members, a pair of flanges on the other clutch member, saidflanges embracing the outer faces of said rolling elements, wedgesadapted to cooperate with one of said flanges and its adjacent rollingelements so that when one of the clutch members is moved the clutch isengaged, and controlling means adapted to cooperate with the ends of thewedges; said controlling means comprising camming means interposedbetween the narrow ends of oppositely-disposed wedges, abutments on theroller-carrying member, springs interposed between said abutments andthe thick ends of the wedges, and means for imparting transversemovement to said camming means.

3. A clutch according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means comprisecamming means interposed between wedges, an operating member movabletransversely to the direction of -movement of the wedges, and means torigidly connect said camming means with said operating member.

4. A clutch according to claim 2, wherein the ends of the wedges areshaped so as to coact with the camming means in such a way that, duringthe movement of the camming means in one direction from its meanposition,

one of the wedges is unaffected and remains stationary, and the otherwedge is moved towards the cam by its respective spring, while duringmovement in the opposite direction the reverse action occurs.

5. A clutch according to claim 2, wherein the means for impartingmovement to the camming .means comprises a plurality oftransversely-disposed pins each of which is ification. 7

WILLIAM MILLER.

